


Come Back Tomorrow

by softslumbers



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adopted Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Keith has a heart condition, Lance & Allura (Voltron) Friendship, M/M, Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Orphan Keith (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 01:09:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12048186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softslumbers/pseuds/softslumbers
Summary: "You wanna know what my daily life is like?" Keith asked, raising an eyebrow. Lance shrugged hesitantly, pink covering his cheeks as he tried to ignore the way Keith's head tilted up slightly whenever he spoke. "It's boring. I live here, I eat here, I pee and poop here, i get tested every day. You know, two months ago I was living in an apartment and going to school." Keith rambled, and Lance felt himself get even quieter, which he didn't know was possible. "I'm able to go out rarely if i'm good. Which is why it's rare.""Cause you're an asshole?" Lance said before he even processed it. His eyes widened in surprise as he watched Keith stare at him, waiting for a drastic response, but Keith just laughed loudly."Yeah, cause i'm an asshole. The assiest."





	Come Back Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> hii so i'm really bad at adding in tags? I hope these are fine. But the story is insanely fluffy with a twist of events but nothing too crazy, i'm not JK Rowling, but I do hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> I watched a movie slightly similar and fell in love with the idea (I know, makes me sound totally awful) and I hope I portrayed it in an okay way- the story took me a very long time. I spent more time on in than any other book i've written I believe, so I do hope you all like it and the ending is happy so!
> 
> It was so fun to write, and I hope you all enjoy reading it as I did writing it.

Lance had started his day upset. Not because of any reason in particular, today just didn't happen to be his day. He had been trying his hardest to keep up with whatever was happening in the conversation between his friends, but today was just the kind of day where the only interesting thing was the way the soup fell slowly from Lance's spoon, so he stuck to that. "Yours sounds so interesting Allura. I got depression. Kind of sucks." Pidge mumbled, taking a large bite of the donut she had snuck in. Allura turned, seeming almost offended. 

"Why does that suck? Depression is very serious." Allura started, emotion showing through her voice. Lance knew talking negatively about any sort of disease was always risky around Allura, since she volunteered at the hospital after school, so most of the time they kept their talk about those sort of things down low. But based on the fact they all now had to write a paper on a different illness, that was all they really had to talk about. Conversation ideas had been running low between them lately. 

"Of course it is, I just know so much about it already. I don't really want to go over it all again, you know? It's gonna be hard. You think the teacher would know to pick anyone but me." Pidge finished, their dry laughter causing a heavy and awkward silence between the table members, which Lance always hated. Because he knew that meant it was his time to talk. 

"I got Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy." He said suddenly, watching as all eyes looked at him in thankfulness for ending the silence. That was his job, he supposed. Back up plan. 

"What's that?" Hunk asked with eagerness, offering moral support for Lance which he silenty appreciated. He took a bite of his own food, shrugging. 

"I'm not sure, something about the your heart being too big. Ms. Trauber just said to go down to the hospital and ask a doctor or something." Lance looked over at Allura, smiling slightly. "Maybe you could take me down there with you after school? I could say hello to Coran." 

Allura's face lit up like diamonds. "Oh he would just love that! He misses all of you so much, I can tell." Lance just nodded, turning to Hunk and Pidge. 

"You guys wanna come? Maybe you could find it some stuff about your subject. What is it, by the way?"

"I got Muscular something, I can't remember." Hunk started, which Lance knew was the start to a 'Sorry, I can't'. If it were to be a yes, he would have started out with that. "My grandma had it, so i'm just gonna talk to my dad. Plus i'm hanging out with Shay today."

Pidge just took another bite of their donut as the eyes turned to them. "I'm good. I don't really like the hospital." Allura nodded in understanding before turning to Hunk. 

"Look at you, hanging out with Shay after school." Allura said to hunk, trying to lighten the mood. Hunks tan cheeks grew pink as he stubbornly shook his head. 

"We're just seeing a movie, we do that all the time."

Lance laughed. "You're so dense sometimes, you know?"

"I am not dense!" Hunk argued, his eyebrows pulling together. 

"That's right, Hunk isn't dense." Pidge argued, placing a sarcastically sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "My boy Hunk, here, is as soft a rock." The table stifled their laugher as Hunk, despite his debate against it, tried to hold back his own. 

•

Lance hated the hospital. He knows that's cliché, because everyone hates the hospital, but there was just something about feeling the presence of people ill and suffering surrounding him and him not being able to do anything but watch and hope that made him feel uneasy. He saw a stretcher pull a young boy silently down the hallway, a door closing behind the doctors and the light in the room immediately brighting and he pulled his eyes away, silently praying to whoever was listening that he would be okay. 

Lance watched the people in the waiting room as they sat in raw silence. A few of them cried to themselves or in someone else's arms, but most just stared at their feet, surrounding themselves in oblivion as they tried to remove themselves from reality. The sort of, maybe if I ignore it, it'll go away feeling was overwhelming in here. 

The whole room was obviously feeling the same sick stomach feeling Lance was, and the world spun a little quicker around him as he heard Doctors begin to frantically yell orders from a far back room. Everyone seemed to flinch. 

Lance snuck his hand into Allura's, who despite Lance's natural flirtatious behavior, knew this came from a place that just needed comfort. She lightly ran her thumb over the back of his hand, using more strength to pull the both of them to the room Lance had stood in millions of times. 

Allura's small fingers pulled a yellow painted key from her backpacks pocket, shaking slightly nervously as she began to open the door. "He's not doing as well as he was last time you saw him, i'm sorry about how he looks. I know it's kind of scary sometimes." Allura whispered, finally releasing Lance's hand. Which was a shame, because lance feels now is when he would have needed it most. 

He stood dangerously still as he stared at the occupied cot, his eyes fixed on the facial construction of the man. He'd definitely gotten a lot thinner, his arms seeming twig like and his cheekbones no longer held the rosey tint or smile lines they used to, his whole skin paled and hollowed out. His hair had now gotten so long that the doctors decided to begin tying it up, he heard Allura say to him in the back of his mind, but he couldn't put much focus on her so he just nodded. 

He knew no one really came to visit Coran anymore. It's nearly been a year and a half now, and the family that Allura and Coran do have left are either far away schooling in some fancy country and eating amazing foods or they just don't care enough to check on him, or maybe they don't remember why they need to come. Why Coran was so important to anyone who knew him. But Lance remembered. 

Lance has known Allura since third grade, and he still remembers the amazing stories Coran would tell the two of them in car rides or on camping trips. About a planet called Altea where there was a king and defenders of the universe and evil aliens, and of course Coran had put everyone in the story. Allura was the princess, Coran was her worthy sidekick, Lance and Hunk were pilots, Allura's Father was the king- Lance just found it so fascinating how such a complex story could fit inside one little brain. But it wasn't just a little story, it was Coran's life. He lived through the stories he told, about battles and heartbreaks and happy endings, Coran told the stories based on his own and that's why it had turned out to be such an amazing story. Because Coran's life has been, and forever will be, well lived. 

Lance felt tears begin to prick at his eyes as he looked over to Allura, who smiled sadly at her uncle. "They told me it's uncommon for a coma to last this long, but his body is still fighting so he still has a chance. He still might make it." Allura said, keeping her voice down to a whisper to hide the cracking sadness in her voice. Lance smiled, looking back to Coran. 

"He's tough for a side kick, you know. Maybe he could have been the new king of Altea. He would have done a damn good job."

Allura laughed softly at the reference, shaking her head more in mixed emotion at the situation then at the statement itself. "He would have, wouldn't he?" The two of them smiled to themselves. Lance found himself a little less scared now. "Maybe we'll crown him right now. He'll be so happy when he wakes up and is king." Lance looks to Allura for any sign of doubt on her face, anything he should smooth over with comfort, but there was none. Allura just continued to confidently smile at her uncle because she knew he would be okay, Coran was going to wake up, and Lance felt something inside of him inflate. 

And that's what Lance wishes hospitals had more of. Hope. 

He wipes the forming tears out of his eyes, clearing his throat. "Is there anyone I should talk to about that heart thing for my paper? Anyone in particular I mean."

Allura furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "Nurse Shirogane's brother has a heart condition. If it's not the same one you're studying, then it's similar. He probably knows something."

"Cool, cool. What room is his office?"

"407. Come back when you're ready to go, I'll just be here." Allura said, smiling warmly, and Lance smiled back. 

"Goodbye, Coran. I'll come visit soon enough." Lance said lastly, waving to Allura and closing the door softly behind himself. 

•

Lance tried to focus on his feet as he approached the room, only looking up when he realized he was now standing inches away from the door. He peeked his head up slightly to see through a small window, seeing a man writing or reading something in a very focused way. Lance knocked lightly, opening the door and watching as the nurses eyes raised and greeted lance with warmth. 

"Hello, you're Nurse Shirogane?"

"Yes, what can I do for you?" Nurse Shirogane said, smiling comfortingly at lance the way most hospital workers do. Tired, but welcoming. Lance couldn't help but smile himself. 

"I'm doing a project for health on Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and I heard a family member of yours has it or has something similar, I was just wondering if there was anything you could tell me about it that I'd need to know."

The nurses smile faltered slightly, now seeming slightly more forced and emotional then welcoming, and Lance felt a twist in his gut. Was this too much? "I'm sorry, was this rude? I can totally just google it..."

"No no, please. It's okay, just a touchy subject. Please, sit." The nurse pointed to a lounge chair, where Lance obediently sat himself. Nurse Shirogane took a deep breath, his original smile returning. "So, what is it you need to know?"

"Just how it affects people, their daily lives I guess. I'm still not 100% sure what it is."

"Well, it is a condition where the muscle that pumps the heart becomes abnormally enlarged, and with my understanding it can be genetic. Some people have a very slight case of it and can live a normal life, but some have it much worse. It can get better, though."

"Do you have it as well?" 

"No, my brother is adopted." The nurse confirmed, and Lance just nodded. That made sense. 

"So, how does it affect him personally?" Lance asked, and the Nurse furrowed his eyebrows with a small smile growing on his face. 

"No one ever really cares about the person, you're taking an interesting turn on the research."

"Well I could just google what it is, but want to know how it affects people. What it can do to someone's life. How is he?" Nurse Shirogane's smile widened, seeming almost eager. 

He continued to smile silently for a moment before standing suddenly and in an excited sort of way. "Would you like to see? He's staying at the hospital for now because it's convenient and he hasn't been doing his best lately... he's a couple rooms over. I'm sure he'd love someone to visit him other than me, he doesn't have many friends. And no one can tell you what it's like better than he can."

Lance's eyes darted around in surprise as he stood up after Nurse Shirogane, surprised at the sudden burst of interest he had. "Oh, um... okay. That sounds fine."

"Perfect! I think he'll really like you." Nurse Shirogane stated, opening the door for Lance. "I'll stay with you though. He can be a little- intimidating at times, but he eventually grows on you."

"Alright..." Lance mumbled, startled by the quick pace everything was moving at. He was fine with talking to a nurse but an actual patient? That was really putting him on the spot. Lance followed Nurse Shirogane into a smaller hallway, watching him open the first door to the left. 418. What if he offended him? What if he sounded dumb? What if- what if...

Lance felt the wind practically knock out of his lungs as he made direct eye contact with the boy, his whole body growing limp. There was a scowl on the boys face as he stared at his brother, then his eyes flicked back to Lance and maybe Lance was seeing things, but he could have sworn they softened. Lance felt himself start to slowly become enveloped by how soft his hair looked and how toned his shoulders were underneath the hospital gown, and felt tsunami tides turn in his chest. 

What if he was insanely attractive?

"Keith, this is Lance! Lance, this is my brother Keith. Lance is doing a paper on HCM and I told him who more perfect to get answers from than the man himself?" Nurse Shirogane said cheerfully, and the eyes on Keith returned back to the scowl. 

"That's me. I'm the man." Keith said unenthusiastically, to which Nurse Shirogane's smile faltered again, this time in concern. Was the concern for Keith? 

"So, would you mind answering questions?" Nurse Shirogane continued pleadingly, but this didn't seem to make Keith budge. 

"What if I did?" Keith snapped back. His eyes turned from Nurse Shirogane to Lance, who crumpled slightly at the stare. Keith found that funny. "What, never seen a sick boy before?"

And if Keith hadn't mentioned the sick part, Lance wouldn't have even noticed. But now Lance had, and Jesus, Keith was sick. His legs and arms were covered in baggy clothes but the wrists and fingers showing through the ends were toned, but thin. His cheekbones were hollowed, and his skin shone with a cold sweat. Keith's smug stare turned into a now self conscious one, if Lance was seeing it correctly, and he pulled at the ends of the sweater. "I'll take your silent answer as a yes then." Keith mumbled, turning away. "I'm not answering any of his dumbass questions."

"Keith, come on. They're fine questions."

"Oh yeah, they're always fine. 'When are you going to die? How sick are you really? Is it just an act? You look fine. Will you ever leave the hospital? How long have you been here, is your brain dysfunctional too? Is that why you're so mean?" Keith mocked with a squeaky voice, and Lance cringed. 

"They aren't like that. Give him a chance. He wants to know what your daily life is like."

Keith furrowed his eyebrows in an emotion lance couldn't quite understand, but not surprise. Maybe mock as he turned to Lance this time who was now in the spotlight. He didn't know wether to be nervous that he now has to say something, or glad he was now being acknowledged. 

"You wanna know what my daily life is like?" Keith asked, raising an eyebrow. Lance shrugged hesitantly, pink covering his cheeks as he tried to ignore the way Keith's head tilted up slightly whenever he spoke. "It's boring. I live here, I eat here, I pee and poop here, i get tested every day. You know, two months ago I was living in an apartment and going to school." Keith rambled, and Lance felt himself get even quieter, which he didn't know was possible. "I'm able to go out rarely if i'm good. Which is why it's rare." 

"Cause you're an asshole?" Lance said before he even processed it. His eyes widened in surprise as he watched Keith stare at him, waiting for a drastic response, but Keith just laughed loudly. 

"Yeah, cause i'm an asshole. The assiest."

"I can tell." Lance said, smiling sideways. 

Nurse Shirogane continued looking between the boys. "Lance, Why don't you just come down here one morning this weekend and spend the rest of the day with Keith, see for yourself? It'd probably be good for your paper."

"Jesus- Shiro, he's probably got a life." Keith said dramatically, defending Lance (which none of them had been expecting at all). 

"No, you're right actually. That'd be perfect, If you don't mind. tomorrow would be perfect." Lance asked more directly at Keith, who now had an unreadable expression on his face. Keith just looked away, turning on his TV. 

"I don't care. Just don't treat me like a charity case or anything." He mumbled, and Shiro was now full on smiling. That expression Lance could read. That was pride. 

"I won't, I swear." Lance mumbled back, smiling to himself slightly.

"That's great! Keith could really use some friends. You sure you aren't too busy?" Nurse Shirogane asked, and Lance nodded. 

"I don't need friends." Keith grumbled, but Nurse Shirogane completely ignored him and continued with Lance. 

"Yeah, I should probably get going since I'll be getting my information tomorrow. I'll be back though I guess-" Lance said, drifting off towards the end. He tuned to Keith. "See you soon?"

"Lets pray I have a heart attack before you can." Keith said back, and Lance found himself smiling at the snarky comment. Pidge would love him. 

"Keith!" Nurse Shirogane yelled, but Keith just grinned, ignoring Nurse Shirogane's upcoming statement about not making fun of dying. 

"I'm just joking. Calm down, Iron Man."

Nurse Shirogane followed Lance outside of the room, closing the door behind the two of them and turning to Lance with a heavy sigh. "Sorry if he scared you, like I said, he's a little intense. I think he liked you though." 

"Yeah?" Lance said, with maybe a little too much hope in his voice. Shiro smiled. 

"Yeah. I take it you liked him as well?" 

Lance rushed a shrug. "He was cool." Lance said, pushing his hair out of his eyes and holding out a hand. "Thanks so much Nurse Shirogane, this is really gonna help my paper."

"Anytime," He said, holding out a hand and gripping it into Lance's, who jumped slightly at the feeling of metal on his skin. He looked down at their hands to see not an arm where there should be one, but a metal prosthetic in its place. How had he not noticed such an obvious thing earlier? That does explain Keith's Iron Man nickname for him. Lance relaxed into the touch, returning his eyes to the pair in front of his and deciding against asking any questions, for his sake. Nurse Shirogane seemed to smile a little wider, releasing Lance's hand. "And please," he finished. "Call me Shiro."

•

"How was Nurse Shirogane, you know, other than the obvious?"

Lance laughed, bouncing the basketball by his feet turning to Allura. "What's the obvious?"

Allura raised her eyebrows, turning to Lance in surprise. "Lance, you of all people should be able to tell a pretty face when you see one."

Lance's eyes widened as he laughed loudly. "Allura, he's like 27!"

"He's actually 25, I would know, and it's not like i'm going to marry him or anything. He's just hot. Also i'm pretty sure he has a thing with Pidge's brother."

Lance turned at this in surprise. "What? Matt?"

Allura shrugged, chewing on her gum. "I guess in college or something they graduated together. I showed Pidge a picture and they said he used to have a thing with Matt. For the most part I trust their judgment," Lance nodded, surprised. He'll have to ask Shiro about that. "His brother must be hot too, huh? That family has royal genes."

Lance found him pausing for a moment. Why couldn't he admit that Keith was attractive? He could do it with practically anyone. But now of all times Lance was finding himself choking up- on what? "He was alright." Lance tossed Allura the basketball, who caught it with ease.

Allura shot Lance a look of genuine surprise, before turning back to throwing the basketball that was in her hands into the hoop. "Okay, he was alright... but was he cute?" Lance watched it roll off of the rim, barley making it. She groaned, turning to Lance who still remained silent. She raised an eyebrow. "Too much for words?"

"He was okay looking... Why do you care?" Lance asked, trying to keep Keith out of the conversation. "Why are you so eager to know?"

"Well, if he's hot then that's good. He's our age, you know. I used to bring Nurse Shirogane packets from school for him but I never met him." She rambled, grabbing the ball and jogging up to the hoop, tossing it sideways over her head and watching it fall through the net. She turned to Lance, chuckling. "Someone finally got you flustered, huh?"

"I am not flustered!" Lance argued, but he knows Allura knows him much too well to see past this. Lance shrank in the bench slightly, picking at his nail. "He probably doesn't even like guys."

"Lance, you could turn any straight guy." Allura said, laughing. Lance scowled at her as she came to sit next to him. "Plus, you're great. If you haven't sparked an interest in him yet, it won't be long until you will. Okay?" She comforted, rubbing his shoulder with her hand. "Anyone would be lucky to have you. Girl or boy."

Lance smiled to himself, looking down to his feet. Sometimes he wondered if he was worthy of having a friend like Allura. Not to mention she was absolutely beautiful, but she was perfect emotionally as well. She always knew exactly how to comfort or smooth someone, she was social and loved meeting new people- Lance is surprised he himself hasn't fallen for her. He supposes that's because Allura is like his sister. 

"You wanna go down to Pidge's? She said we could watch a movie or something," Allura offered, tossing Lance the ball with no warning. Lance caught it, nearly letting it hit him in the stomach, and gaping up at her sarcastically. "Or do you wanna let me kick your ass at one on one?"

"I vote..." Lance started, waiting a moment to throw her the ball back with just as much force. She caught it just in time, laughing. "Both."

•

Lance was excited. No, excited wasn't the right word. Lance was nervous. And eager. And maybe a little aroused, but that's just because it was six in the morning. He looked around him and realized he wasn't at home in his bed, but instead in Pidge's home on her living room floor. He heard clattering plates from the kitchen, which was most definitely Hunk, and he decided to walk down and see what he was cooking up. 

Hunk turned as Lance entered the kitchen with a warm smile. "Hey, you're up early."

"Yeah, I think Pidge kicked me in my sleep or something. But it's alright, I had an alarm set for seven anyways." Lance rambled, walking over to the coffee maker and turning it on. Hunk furrowed his eyebrows. 

"Why'd you set an alarm for seven?" Hunk asked, leaning against the counter. Lance turned around slowly, smiling. Why was he suddenly so nervous? He always tells Hunk these things. Plus, it wasn't anything special. It was just Keith. 

Feeling unable to open up to his friends lately has been strange, but Lance was trying not to think too much about it. Sometimes, Lance will keep things to himself. That's normal. Totally not stressful for him at all. 

"Actually, i'm going back down to the hospital." Lance said slowly, and Hunk seemed to take this as a valid answer. He turned around, but Lance could feel his confusion still hovering. 

"At seven in the morning?"

"Well, I wouldn't have left until eight or nine-"

"Lance, you normally wake up at 2pm."

"I'm starting to live my life, Hunk! Have a little encouragement!"

Hunk laughed, shaking his head as he continued to cook whatever it was he was cooking. The coffee maker beeped, and Lance walked over to it. "Okay, but why be there so early? Didn't you go yesterday, anyways? Why go again at all?"

"Nothing. There's just a boy there who knows a lot about it and i'm going back tomorrow to spend the day with him." Hunks eyebrows shot up. "It's for research!"

"Did Keith mention he's Nurse Shirogane's brother?" Allura continued, inviting herself into the conversation. Lance cringed as Hunk lit up. 

"No way! So what, is he cute?"

"Oh my god! You guys, it's a totally professional thing. Just research. I'm studying."

"Studying what, human anatomy?" Allura mumbled under her breath, Lance throwing his hand at the back of her head playfully while Hunk just continued cooking with a laugh under his breath. 

"Alright, i'm leaving to wash my face before I go." Lance sassed, grabbing his cup of coffee which he had sweetened and creamed heavily and waltzing out the door. "Don't miss me too much."

"We won't!" Allura shouted, and Lance smiled as he walked up the stairs. Ecstatic. That was the perfect word. That's how Lance was feeling. 

•

"What do you want to do?" Keith asked, staring across the room to Lance, who had gotten to the hotel room about an hour ago. Lance looked up, surprised. For the last hour there hadn't been much converstation. 

"Right now?" Lance asked, looking around. "I don't know, whatever you do."

"No you idiot, what do you want to do in general. What's your goal in life." Keith asked, and Lance quieted for a moment. Did Lance have a goal?

"I mean, I really want to go to Cuba. That's where my family's from but i've never been."

"Cuba?"

"Yeah."

It was quiet again for a while, but Keith was the first to speak once again. 

"I wanted to be a stuntman." Keith mumbled, and Lance looked over at him in surprise. Keith did, matter of fact, fit the image of a stuntman perfectly. His loud voice yelling as he rode a motor bike off a cliff, mullet softly flowing in the wind behind him. Lance could help but laugh under his breath, which immediately got Keith's attention. "I'm serious!"

"I know, just- really? A stuntman?"

"Why not?" Keith asked, mockingly frustrated. Lance smiled. "At least they have the balls to do it, actors are pussies. Stop smiling, this is a dream of mine!" Lance laughed one last time before forcing his face into a serious face, furrowing his eyebrows. 

"Right, serious. Got it." Keith scowled, obviously fighting back a smile of his own. There was silence for a little bit as Lance contained his laughter.

"Do you ever think about dying?" Keith asked, seeming perfectly casual with the question. Lance stiffened slightly, but decided to act casual as well. 

"I don't know, sometimes. That's a weird question."

Keith laughed. "Not really, we're all going to die someday. I just got unlucky I suppose." Keith said quietly, not seeming uncomfortable whatsoever at talking about his death. "I mean, there's a chance I'll live a normal life. It's not common for people with HCM to require in hospital care, but I passed out cold in school one day and it was just downhill from there. They say my blood pulse is "unstable beyond repair" for now and until they know how to calm me down, I'll do absolutely nothing."

Lance nodded, feeling a boiling begin in his stomach as he stared at the quiet features on the boy across from him. Not out of pity, but out of admiration. 

"You're brave." Lance whispered, wording his thoughts and watching as Keith's head looked at him in surprise. There was a warm silence between the two of them as Keith's eyes, which always seemed so cold, seemed to melt a little. Lance took this time to catch a quick glance at Keith's eyes, and realized they were purple. Violet. 

"You think so?" He whispered, insecurities trembling through his voice. Begging Lance to say yes, you are. You are enough. So Lance smiled, and nodded. Not because he couldn't word the lies, but because it was truth. And Keith was enough, so much so Lance didn't have any other way to put it so a nod and a smile would have to do. Keith didn't seem to mind as his gaze lowered to his lap. 

•

Keith was sitting in his cot, Lance in the cushioned bay window of the room as the two of them ate their shitty hospital food in silence. Lance tried his hardest to ignore the sound coming from the room next to Keith's. 

Keith just ignored all the commotion, eating his food as if he too knew it was horrid, but his life depended on it. He was hungry. 

"This food tastes like ass." Lance whispered, not wanting the chefs to over-hear. Keith chuckled, looking up at Lance with an unreadable expression for a moment before replying. 

"I know. Shiro normally brings me food, but he said he wanted to give you the full on hospital experience. What it would be like if I didn't have him around. Most people don't have a Shiro." Keith smiled, looking at his plate.

"You know, he has a thing with my friends brother?" Keith looked up, laughing. 

"Matt? That's your friend brother? No way!"

"I just figured it out! That's crazy, right?"

"That's so weird." Keith mumbled, laughing. "They're both great. Sometimes I think Shiro knows me better than I know myself."

Lance smiled, nodding. "That's a lot like me and Allura. She's amazing." Keith looked up to Lance slowly, raising his eyebrows. 

"Allura as in Coran's Allura? The guy in room 226?" Lance nodded tightly, forcing out a small smile. It was hard seeing as everyone seemed to know Coran as "that one guy who's in a coma", because to Lance he seemed like so much more. But Lance tried not to think about that too much. 

"Yeah, i've known her and Coran since third grade. I think she knows me better than myself as well but- I think that's just how she is, you know? She just- knows people. She'd love you, she'd probably hit on you right away though. We're alike in that way." Lance rambled, laughing to himself. "Can't help but give in once you give us a pretty face."

Lance slowly started to realize what he had said, but tried not to panic as he realized his open flirting attempt. He couldn't bring his eyes to Keith, because he knew he wouldn't be able to read in. Or he would, and he would wish he couldn't. Either way, Lance's eyes seemed glued to the table next to them. Until Lance heard Keith laugh. 

He turned to Keith in surprise, his own smile dropped and morphed into something much more meaningful, something Lance couldn't even describe himself. His eyes met Keith as his head bent down and away from Lance's view, but he could still hear the laughter coming from Keith. The laughter he had initiated. Was he laughing at him, or with him? It didn't matter. Lance made Keith laugh. He felt a bubbling in his chest ignite and something shot throughout his whole body, and Lance was glowing. No, that was wrong. Keith was the one who was glowing. 

"I'm serious." Lance whispered, and Keith looked up at him, furrowing his eyebrows but keeping the smile on his face. Lance wishes he could take a picture. 

"I'm not pretty." Keith mumbled, laughing and continuing to eat his food. Lance doesn't say anything. "But thanks for the flirting attempt, it means a lot. I don't get a whole lot of action in here."

Lance lost composure over himself, his eyes bursting open as he sputtered. "I wasn't flirting!" Keith laughed again. 

"You totally were. Come on man, i'm dying, but i'm not dumb." Lance held his lips together tightly, shocked by the swap of roles in this conversation. Wasn't Lance supposed to be the casual and confident one? 

"I was merely allowing you a slice of confidence, you're welcome." Lance mumbled, writing something down about humor in his notebook, which didn't seem to be much about Keith's condition at all, but more just about Keith. Lance furrowed his eyebrows as he read over what he'd been writing, because none of it connected to his paper at all. He was just interrogating Keith for who he was, disease or no disease. He began to feel himself slip away into a place of vulnerability, looking up at Keith and hoping his face didn't show any of the thoughts that were scrambling around his head right now. 

"Are you? Straight?" Keith asked slowly, if Lance dare to say, self consciously. Lance used the moment to bring back his Confident side of himself by laughing loudly. 

"No way, mullet. I get the best of both worlds over here." Keith was now the one who seemed shyish, and Lance almost felt bad. "What about you?"

"Pretty gay." Keith mumbled. Lance nodded, not knowing why him confirming Keith's gayness with a nod seemed like the appropriate thing to do. "This-"

"Alright, Keith." Shiro shouted cheerfully, entering the room. Lance felt a weight lift off his shoulders as the tension between the two of them vanished. "Time for vitals." Shiro smiled to Lance as he went to a pantry, pulling out a small bag. "How's it coming for you? Keith scared you away yet?"

Keith rolled his eyes. "No, not yet." Lance said with a smile. He felt so comfortable talking to Shiro. "I have got quite an insight on the infamous Keith, though." Shiro laughed as he pulled out a stethoscope, placing the eartips in his ears and unbuttoning Keith's gown. 

Lance felt himself go into full panic mode as he watched Keith not so subtly grin at him as Shiro continued to remove the gown that was covering his chest, letting it fall to his waist. He hadn't realized he had been staring much to long at Keith's torso, but as soon as he caught eyes with Keith and his smug look he quickly turned his attention to his feet. He ignored the chuckle he heard and hoped his face wasn't as red as he felt it was. 

"You know, Shiro, Lance knows Matt." Keith muttered. Shiro's face reddened and turned to Lance in surprise. 

"You do?" He laughed nervously, Lance watching the stethoscope shake slightly in Shiro's grip. "What a small world, huh?"

"I bet Lance could hook you guys-"

"Alright, you seem pretty normal for now!" Shiro interrupted, and turned to Lance. "You want to try, Lance?" 

Lance's eyebrows shot up as both he and Keith looked up at Shiro in surprise, forgetting about their Matt conversation. 

"You want me to do it?"

"I mean, I already did it. But you could try it if you want, you know how to check BPM right?"

Lance slowly nodded, keeping his eyes anywhere but Keith's face as he slowly stood up and wobbled his way over to where Shiro stood, who was oblivious to the elephant in the room (as usual for poor Shiro)

Shiro handed him the stethoscope which Lance took with shaky hands, putting the eartips in his ears as quickly as he could. 

"Now, you want to place it right here-" Shiro mumbled, the sound slightly muffled because of the ear tips as he brought his finger to touch to a small patch of skin on Keith's chest that was accompanied by a small scar. Lance breathed in as calmly as he could, taking the diaphragm between his two fingers and placing it gently over the scar. 

One, two, three

For the first time, Lance finally brought his gaze up to really look at Keith, praying to not be met with a cocky grin, but instead quite the opposite. Keith's eyes were wide and fixated far away from where Lance was, which gave Lance a slight boost in confidence as he let his middle finger graze slightly over the skin next to the diaphragm. He felt Keith shiver, or maybe that was himself. He smiled as he heard Keith's heart rate flutter, just for one moment. 

Sixty three, sixty four, sixty five

Lance pulled away as Shiro's timer beeped, smiling awkwardly and forcing himself out of the trance he had been pulled into. "Seems normal to me." He muttered, higher pitch than he wishes it would have been. Shiro clapped loudly, seeming to pull Keith out of his own trance as well. 

"Great! That's great. I checked his breathing while you were doing that, so everything seems normal!"

"That's a first." Keith huffed, pulling up the gown back over his shoulders and leaning his head against the pillow. Shiro continued with his normal vitals and Lance drifted his attention away to his phone, catching himself up on the conversations he'd missed. 

Allura: having fun? ;;))

Pidge: 20 bucks says he's already got his number 

Hunk: you're on Pidge

Me: *inhales in frustration* I didn't get his number and I won't. I'm here for research !

It took them a few minutes to respond. 

Allura: bullshit !3!:!! I saw Shirogane walk in there, you're blessed with the two most beautiful humans on earth and you're saying it's just research??

Me: exactly

Pidge: who are you and where is Lance

Allura: come on lance, at least take a picture of him. I wanna see

Hunk: I second 

Pidge: third

Me: ok ok fuuskkx I'll take a picture

He breathed in as he exited the group chat, watching a few cheers slide down from notification as he went to his camera, trying to point it at Keith as secretively as possible. He smiled at his phone as he looked at Keith who was now leaning his head back, watching Shiro pack up the rest of his things and getting ready to leave. 

Flash. 

Lance's stomach dropped as he pulled his phone down, pressing it against his leg as he pretended to scroll as he could practically hear Keith's eyebrows raising. 

"Did you take a picture of me?"

Maybe. "No! Why would I do that?"

"To show me off to your friends, duh." Keith said casually, and Lance nearly choked on his spit. He was losing at his own game. 

"I didn't take a picture." He mumbled, quickly sending the picture to his friends. He'd have to stare at it later. 

"You totally did." Keith muttered, leaning his head back again and chuckling. "It's okay though. I'd take a picture of you too." Lance's stomach might as well fly away.

"Why would you do that?!" Lance muttered, feeling his cheeks redden as he glanced to Keith, who just smiled to himself. 

"I think you're cute."

I think you're cute. 

Lance's world stopped for a moment, not bringing his eyes up to Keith's at all. Not even for a second. He didn't need to, hearing Keith say that, hearing someone other than the few friends and his family show care for him was enough to keep Lance charged for the next hundred years. He smiled at his feet. 

"I'm very masculine, not cute." Was all Lance could think to say, and thankfully Keith thought this was funny. 

"Of course you are. You're quite handsome, then." Keith concluded, and Lance was soaring. His smile widened as he pulled out his notebook, writing down below his last observation. 

"You're not so bad yourself."

'He thinks i'm cute'

•

Lance didn't want to admit that he was now coming to the hospital almost every week, he didn't want to admit that even his sleeping schedule had been improved because of it. He now would come to the hospital every Friday after school, since that's when Allura came and was able to drive him there. He didn't want to admit that he looked forward to it every week, always becoming slightly antsy in his last class as he waited for the bell to free him, and he definitely didn't want to admit he didn't think he'd be able to last a single Friday night without seeing Keith. 

And so it was Friday, and was excitedly texting Keith about his near arrival and driving with Allura to the hospital as usual. Allura was playing some alternative rock song loudly with the windows rolled down, and all Lance could think about was how much Keith would love this. Love his school, his friends, driving with Allura, all the small things Lance didn't seem to appreciate enough in his life. 

Keith: you're already twenty seconds late

Me: I had to re take a test go easy on me

Keith: i've never actually taken a school test

Me: really? Seems kinda lucky to me. They suck ass. 

Keith: I guess so. But yea really, i started online school a while back so 

Lance stared at his phone, debating wether or not what he was plotting in his head was even possible. Can Keith even leave the hospital? Based on his research he should be, and Keith seemed pretty normal for now- would it be awkward to ask? He's sure the two of them have had more awkward conversations. But what about during?

"Allura, I want to invite Keith for a sleepover." Lance blurted, just barley loud enough to be heard over the music. Allura raised her eyebrows at the road, obviously meaning to direct it to Lance as she turned her music down. 

"You want to what?"

"I want him to meet everyone, get a taste of what my life's like. I feel like I know more about him than he does about me."

Allura grinned despite her confused face. "That's the point though, right? You're writing a paper on him." That's right. Lance had forgotten about that. 

"I don't know, I feel it's more than for the paper now." Lance mumbled, setting his feet on the dashboard. He focused his attention on the road in front of them, watching Allura's face grow into a wide grin from the corner of his own. And her smile was insanely contagious. 

"Oh my god! You're serious! I thought- Look, you're smiling!"

"I'm not!" Lance argued, stifling laughter. "I just want you to meet him. That's all."

"You're totally crushing on him." Allura mumbled, grinning to herself. "The Lance McClain, head over heels for hospital boy."

"I am not head over heels." Lance grumbled, walking out of the car and closing the door after Allura pulled into the parking space. "And I don't even know if this will be okay with Shiro because of the heart cond-"

"You call him Shiro?! Lance, you two are practically married." Lance ignored her obnoxious statements, smiling tightly. 

"I don't even know if it will be okay with him." Lance finished, pushing Allura's comments behind him. 

•

"That's perfectly okay with me!"

Lance's stomach flipped around, trying his hardest to contain his heavy breathing. "That's it?"

"Well, you'll have to check his vitals every six hours, but besides that I think it'll be okay. Technically Keith doesn't have to stay in the hospital all the time, it's just since i'm the only one who can check his vitals and i'm here constantly then that's his only option." Shirt rambled, and Lance felt Allura poke the back of his thigh teasingly. "But, he's been doing so much better." Shiro turned to Allura, smiling. "I don't think we've met, i'm Nurse Shirogane."

"Allura," She said, grinning. "You used to help my uncle, Coran."

"Oh yes! Coran, he was one of my favorite patients." Shiro said, obviously trying his hardest to keep the conversation positive. After a long moment of silence, he cleared his throat. "Have you met Keith, Allura?"

"No, i've heard plenty though. Lance is infatuated." She mumbled, emphasizing on infatuated, and Lance's eyes widened in terror a as he turned to his friend in shock of her betrayal. 

"I am not!" Lance whispered hastily, hearing Shiro chuckle as he led the two of them down the hall and into Keith's room.

The room was the same as it usually is, a little less lit up then the rest of them and laid out very asymmetrically and neatly. There were a few magazines laying by Keith's bed and the TV was playing a Rick and Morty episode, which Lance smiled at, remembering Keith mentioning it a while back. Allura followed behind Lance. 

"Keith, Lance said he would like to invite you to his house. He wants you to meet all of his friends."

"A sleepover," Lance mumbled, watching Keith's face for any trace of uncomfort, but there was none. "I'm inviting you to a sleepover." 

Keith grinned, raising an eyebrow. "I can't have sex, if that's what you're aiming for. Not until my hearts stable enough."

Lance's face heated as he heard Shiro scold Keith, Allura laughing loudly behind him. "No! I didn't- there would be more people there. Not just me, I mean. A lot of people. My family."

Keith's smug look disappeared as he turned to Allura, smiling. "You're Allura?"

She seemed relieved to be invited into the conversation. "Yeah, the one and only." Lance scoffed as Keith laughed. "And you're the famous Keith. I've heard a lot about you." Lance didn't think his face could get any redder. 

"I am, yes." Keith mumbled, standing up from his cot. "I guess I'll pack, then." His face turned more serious as he looked over to Shiro. "Are you sure this is okay? Nothing's going to happen?"

Shiro smiled almost sympathetically, shaking his head. "You'll be okay."

"Okay." Keith mumbled, turning to Lance, obviously trying to hide his excitement as much as possible. Lance could coo. 

•

The car ride to the burger restaurant they were eating at was unbearably quiet. Lance was driving Allura's car because he wanted to impress Keith (and tried not to bring up he hadn't gotten his license yet), Keith was sitting passenger and Allura in the back. He didn't know if Keith was able to drive, and he didn't want Keith to feel on the spotlight by sitting next to Allura, so he decided this was best. 

And Keith seemed comfortable enough, his head pressed against the window like a child. Lance looked over to Keith, smiling lightly to himself before looking back at the road. 

"So," Allura mumbled, leaning back in her seat. "What is it about Lance that made you not want to scream and run?"

Lance reached his arm back, slapping Allura in the knee. "I am not that bad."

"Nothing, i'm being forced. Pressed against my will." Keith muttered, turning himself in his seat so he was now facing Lance with the back of his head laid against the window, and Lance struggled to not use the words "laid" and "pressed" with Keith in the same sentence or he's afraid he'd spring one right here in the car. 

"Oh shut up, you love my company." Lance argued, lightly shoving Keith's shoulder with his hand. Keith shrugged, striking up conversation with Allura again. 

"What school do you go to?"

"Garrison, same as Lance. You should have seen our faces when we found out we got into the same school." Keith chuckled, and his jaw seemed to tighten. "Lance's cute little face couldn't take all the joy."

"So are you two like, you know..." Keith didn't finish the rest of his sentence, using his finger to drag a line between the two and Allura laughed loudly. 

"We used to be in sixth grade but it was too weird, we just stuck to friends after that-" Lance rambled, glaring at a hysterical Allura through his mirror. "Don't laugh like that! I was totally in love with you!"

"You still are, just platonically. I would never stoop as low as to date you." Allura joked, pulling half of her hair in a ponytail and leaving the bottom half hanging in loose curls. Lance ignored the pain of that statement. 

"If anyone's awful to date, it's Shiro." Keith said, taking the attention away from Lance. "He's awful when he finds someone attractive- his ex, Linda, he threw up all over her at a highschool party." Keith and Allura laughed, and Lance tried to hold in his fond. "He tells me all these stories about when he was in school- he was caption of the football team, he went on all these adventures. It makes me really envious sometimes."

"You're pretty cool yourself, Kogane." Lance muttered, watching Keith turn to him out of the corner of his eye. He didn't like the state of vulnerability he always got in whenever he was confessing something to Keith, but he decided to put it aside and speak as confidently as possible. "You just gotta start putting yourself out there more."

"Well that's what you're helping me with, right?" Keith answered, and Lance could practically hear the smile through his voice. "Putting myself out there?"

"Yeah," Lance pulled into the burger places parking space, turning off the car and glancing at Keith, who looked unacceptably good with his hair blown crazy from the wind and his smile peaking from behind his arm. "I am."

•

"These are awful." Pidge grumbled, picking at the back of her burger cautiously as if it were alive. Hunk leaned back, placing a hand over his full stomach. 

"Maybe so, but that milkshake was the damn best thing i've ever tasted."

Keith laughed quietly, staring down at his empty plate. 

"You liked it, huh?" Lance asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Well i'm sure it's better than the hospital food." Allura answered for him, looking to Keith for approval. Keith laughed again, nodding.

Lance looked between his four friends, focusing most of his attention on Keith as he thanked whatever god there was that Keith was getting along fine with his group. He was most afraid that they wouldn't like each other or wouldn't get along, but with some pushing from Lance and the nonstop stories Allura had to share they seemed to be hitting it off quite well. Keith seemed to be having the time of his life as Pidge continued on telling him her stories about conspiracy theories and plans of taking over the world, and Lance's heart acted before his brain as he let his hand rest lightly on Keith's thigh. 

Keith stiffened and turned his attention from Pidge onto Lance in shock, and Lance quickly retracted his hand in embarrassment. 

"Fuck, sorry." Lance mumbled, laughing nervously. Most of the tables conversation had been paused to watch the two of them, and Lance felt like crawling away. Out of all the places he wanted Keith to reject him, he did not want it to be in front of his friends. 

"What happened?" Hunk asked, and Pidge lightly kicked him in the shin to shut up, obviously already knowing. Allura and Hunk however remained oblivious. 

"It's alright," Keith said, laughing nervously. "Lance just stole one of my fries. I'm pretty protective of my food." He mumbled, turning back to Pidge. "What were you saying?"

And that was it, then. Keith wasn't interested. He was humble enough to not embarrass Lance, but still wasn't interested. Lance continued to scream at himself through his head as Keith continued talking to Pidge, seeming conflicted as to acting sick and leaving to go sit in the bathroom for a while alone, but it wasn't long until Keith's own hand grabbed Lance's and placed it back on his thigh, making sure their hands were protected from the eyes of everyone else and hidden under the table cloth. Lance felt his heart practically jump through his chest and his smile widen as he watched Keith continue talking to Pidge, shaking his leg nervously. 

Lance took a deep breath, running his thumb lightly over his leg and feeling the shaking in Keith's leg slowly start to subside. And maybe he was seeing things, but he could have sworn Keith smiled. 

•

Lance led Keith away from Allura's car and up to his door. He heard Allura hoot out the window before driving off, and he gave Keith a slightly nervous smile. Keith returned it, obviously nervous. 

"Come on, now. My family isn't that bad." Lance mumbled, tilting his head back and continuing to walk, but backwards to his porch so he could maintain eye contact. Keith rolled his eyes. 

"I'm allowed to be nervous when meeting my friends family, thank you very much. I've never had many families to meet, so this is a first."

Lance gasped, covering his heart with his hand. "You're losing your meet the family virginity to me? What an honor!"

Keith laughed, stopping a few inches away from Lance at the front door. "Your hearts on the other side, genius." 

Lance grinned, moving his hand over slightly. He had just started to realize how close the proximity between him and Keith actually was as the front door swung open, a small girl with slightly lighter skin then Lance bursting through. Keith stepped slightly back from Lance, eyebrows shooting up at the ball of energy who resembled her uncle so much. 

"You must be Céline." Keith said in a voice slightly softer than the one he normally used, bending down to her level. She smiled widely, throwing her arms around Keith's neck. 

"And you're Keith. Lance talks about you too much."

"Shut up Céline." Lance mumbled, pulling Keith's arm with a tug. Keith laughed loudly, running his hand through Céline's hair comfortably and followed Lance into the door, who had come to the conclusion Keith was well with kids. Good to know. 

"Lance, está oscuro. ¿Por qué volviste tan tarde?" Keith heard a woman yell in anger from the kitchen, who he assumed was Lance's mom. Lance's face melted into something mixed with fear and possible nervousness as he glanced between Keith and where the voice came from. 

"Traje a una amiga abuela!" Lance yelled, smiling apologetically at Keith. "Sorry, that's my Grandma. She doesn't know the best English, but she'll try her best." And wow Keith did not know Lance spoke Spanish. 

"Oh!" Another woman yelled with an obvious Spanish accent, but not quite as thick as Lance's grandmother. "You must be Keith, yes?" Keith nodded, smiling tightly. He wasn't used to such big crowds. "I'm Lance's mom, Amie. My mom- Mamá, ven a conocer a Keith! She's cooking." Lance's mom yelled, quickly before turning back to Keith and smiling. 

Lance quickly noted Keith's discomfort as his mom rambled about what they were going to be eating and how glad she was to meet him and Lance tried his best to sneakily place a soothing hand to Keith's lower back, which Keith seemed to accept as he let out a long breath. Lance couldn't help but smile, Keith was just so god darn cute. Cute? Was that the word? Maybe not. Friendly, maybe. 

"But, we're going to have ravioli tonight so- I hope you aren't vegetarian? It has meat in it." 

"No that's okay, I'm not." Keith said, seeming slightly more comfortable now, but Lance kept his hand in place on Keith's back. 

Keith's eyes jolted to the staircase as another two, a girl and a boy came rushing down the stairs, the boy seeming much older than Lance but the girl maybe only four or five years. The girl skipped the last step of the staircase with a little jump, turning and smiling at the two of them. 

"Hi, you must be Keith." She started, and it was surprising how much she sounded like Lance. Keith quickly flicked his eyes to Lance, before bringing them back to the girl. 

"Yeah, that's me. You sound a lot like-"

"Lance? I know, but i'm his older sister so technically HE sounds like ME. Remi," She smiled, ruffling Lance's hair and raising her eyebrows as she spotted Lance's hand that was still placed carefully on Keith's back. "Getting comfortable I see?" She raised an eyebrow, sending a mocking grin to the two of them. 

Keith's face reddened as he tried to pull away from Lance's touch, but Lance wasn't going to let a little teasing from his siblings risk Keith's comfort, so he pressed himself even a little harder into Keith's side, moving his arm from Keith's back to the side of his hip so he could keep Keith from trying to sneak away again. Lance felt shivers, not sure if it was him or Keith. 

"And that's Anthony," Lance mumbled, pointing to the older boy who just smiled before turning and saying something about quieting down to Céline and another little boy who Keith must have missed come in. "And the boy playing with her is Francisco." Lance smiled proudly. "And my abuela is in the kitchen, she'll love you." Keith nodded, still slightly overwhelmed with meeting everyone so quickly. Lance noticed this and breathed in, pointing to the staircase. "But I'll show you around first, yeah?" 

Keith smiled thankfully, nodding and following Lance up the stairs. He couldn't help but admire the many pictures that were hanging of Lance and his siblings when they were younger with various friends and pets, and Keith also found himself noticing many pictures of Lance with Allura. He smiled tightly, frustrated that he found himself envying how close the two of them were. 

"This is my room." Lance mumbled, opening a door and waving his hands around commercially. The walls were a fine white and the carpet a slightly darker shade, his bed evenly placed by his window with plants and photos spilling all over his bedside table and shelves. A large mirror stood on the left wall, another large palm leaved plant overlapping the mirror only barely. A desk was on the right wall, and that was also covered in photos. Keith had never really taken Lance as an aesthetics kind of guy, but the more he thought about it the more he could imaging it. He raised his eyebrows at Lance, laughing lightly. 

"It's, nice? I wasn't expecting it to be so put together."

"I have awful OCD, sue me." Lance muttered, laughing himself as Keith allowed to let himself around the room. 

Keith walked over to the desk, his eyebrows raising slightly at all the photos Keith had that were of Coran. Coran and him swimming, Coran him and Allura in the woods, Coran and him wearing matching shirts. Keith never really put into thought how close Lance and Coran must have been, or how much Coran's family must be mourning for him while they wait for him to wake up. Especially Lance. He always just kind of thought of him as the guy in a coma. Thinking about it now, he hates when people refer to him as the guy with the heart problem. Guilt washed over him. 

Keith turned back around, leaning against the desk chair and smiling sadly at Lance, who still hadn't moved. "I'm sorry, about Coran. You two seemed really close." 

Lance nodded. "Not as close as him and Allura, of course. But you know, he was like my uncle too." Keith kept quiet, hoping Lance would continue. "I just feel like-" Lance finally moved, sitting down in a small beanbag chair. "I didn't appreciate him enough as I got older." Lance's face twisted in frustration as he tried to explain. "Like the weeks before he got in the accident, he had an art show- and I just," Lance shook his head, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I didn't go. I could have gone, but I didn't. And Allura kept telling me the day after how sad he was and I didn't even really care." Lance laughed bitterly, leaning his head against the wall behind him. The poster crumpled under his head. "I'd give anything now just to talk to him again."

Keith knew how Lance felt, but he didn't want to make the conversation about him so not knowing what else to say he just nodded, allowing the two of them to drift off into silence. 

"I'm sure he'll forgive you." Keith mumbled after a long while of the two of them just staring at lance's wall. Keith watched Lance turn to face him from the corner of his eye, but couldn't look over. He kept his focus on a small slice of marker Lance had missed erasing off his whiteboard and debated walking over and wiping it off. "When he wakes up, he'll forgive you." 

Lance smiled, nodding and looking beyond Keith to the pictures lined up on his desk. He breathed through his nose, his body seeming to relax. "I think he will, too."

•

"Okay, okay," Lance mumbled, leaning his head off the side of his bed and tracing the edge of one of his posters with his toe. Keith was sitting in the desk chair apparently drawing Lance as Lance spit out different situations one by one. Keith laughed, erasing something off of his paper. "Zombie apocalypse, where would you go first."

Keith pushed out his lower lip in thought, his eyes keeping on his drawing. He hummed, clicking his tongue a few times. Lance couldn't think of a word other than cute, but cute was way beyond his safe words to use with Keith and so he tried to ignore it. "Maybe a boat house- can they swim?"

"I don't know, Keith. I'm sorry to admit i've never had the pleasure of meeting a zombie." Keith looked up at Lance to shoot him a mocking look. 

"Ha ha." He grumbled, shaking his head and going back to his drawing. "I don't know, though. I'd probably just take Shiro and my friends and go to a boat house. We could train to go out weekly to get food- or maybe they're like I Am Legend zombies? Then we'd just go in the day. Jesus I hope they're not like I Am Legend zombies. I wouldn't last a day."

"I didn't know you had friends," Lance mumbled, laughing through his slight jealously. "And you totally would. If an alien race was attacking earth and we had to save everyone, you'd be the leader, I'd bet on it." Keith looked up in surprise. Lance tried to play off what he had said as casual, hoping not to boost Keith's ego too much. "Maybe Shiro would do better. But you're definitely second." Keith laughed loudly. 

"I'm flattered, but If aliens were attacking earth I wouldn't even make it past the shock of finding out. I'd probably have a heart attack and die right then." Keith mumbled, grinning to himself. Lance looked up in surprise, not finding any humor in the situation until Keith looked up as well, fighting back a laugh. Lance's gape, to his own surprise started to turn into a grin until the two of them found themselves full on laughing. 

"That's awful! Don't joke about that, Jesus!" Lance yelled. Keith laughed loudly, bending himself over. Lance's laughter subsided as he watched Keith, realizing the sort of situation he had invited himself in right now. Keith, in his room, just the two of them. His face twisted slightly as he looked around his room, then at Keith. 

What had Lance been thinking?! Where the hell was Keith going to sleep? What if something happened in the night? He was about to have a sleepover with his crush for damn sake! Crush? Friend? Companion? Why was he even thinking about these things? Lance watched as Keith raised an eyebrow, realizing he had probably asked him something. "Uh, what?"

Keith laughed. "Nothing, you were just spacing out." He shook his head, setting the drawing down. 

"Wait, no! Are you done?" Lance asked, sitting himself up and finding Keith suddenly flustered and stuttering. 

"What? No! It's just a doodle-" he mumbled, moving his chair to protect the drawing. Lance gaped, laughing loudly. 

"Uh, no? You drew me, I have to see it." Lance numbed, sending Keith a look only described as "come on, Keith." 

Keith breathed in, giving in after only a few seconds of that look and handing the paper over slightly aggressively. "It isn't good, i wasn't even trying." Lance looked down at the paper, his smile dropping into a serious look as he finally saw the paper. 

Lance's drawing was perfect. Scratch that, it wasn't, because the Lance in this drawing was ten times hotter than the Lance in real life. He wishes he looked as good as Keith had drawn him, but was that how Keith saw him? Hair all perfectly laid out as his head hung off the side of the bed, laughing at something with his leg propped against the wall. His whole body was structured so nicely and his facial features had literally no flaws- which was unlike the Lance he actually is. He's seen bad pictures of him before, so he knows. 

He pulled his eyes to look up at Keith, serious look not leaving his face. Keith didn't look up at him, though, his lips twisting around as he pretended to be fascinated by the movement of his hands. 

"Keith, is this how I look to you?"

Keith looked up quickly, furrowing his eyebrows and then drooping them in worry. "Fuck, is it that bad? I'm sorry I shouldn't have showed-"

"No, Jesus Keith calm down." Lance laughed. "It's really good. It's amazing, actually." Lance complimented, turning the picture slightly to look at it in more depth. "My room looks incredible- also i'm really hot. Like, I'd fuck me. That's how hot I am." Lance heard Keith laugh quietly and leaned his head back over the end of the bed. "I'm flattered, but you didn't have to draw me so damn attractive. I'm like- model worthy." Keith was quiet as he accepted the drawing back from Lance's hand. 

"You don't think you're like that in real life?" He mumbled, and Lance scoffed. 

"Hot? Nah, maybe semi attractive with a dash of ugly. Enough to catch maybe one or two glances but that's really it. If I looked like that I would have gotten a girlfriend or boyfriend by now i'm sure." Keith laughed. "What? You think i'm worse?" Lance asked, laughing back. 

"No, I just think it's funny. Because I do see you like how I drew you." Lance raised a mocking eyebrow. 

"You think i'm hot?"

"Maybe I do." Keith said confidently, and looked over to find all of the confidence that had been i'm Lance totally drained as he looked shocked at Keith, who was now totally embarrassing himself and stumbling over his words. "I mean- sure. No, no I- okay. Maybe a little. Like you said, enough to catch my gaze but like- that's not even the point! You aren't ugly. If that's what you're saying." He rambled, throwing the sketchbook at his feet in frustration. He probably looked super embarrassing, not to mention red. "I mean, you caught my attention."

Lance was quiet after that, Keith assumed he was taking in his confession. Was it really a confession? Maybe it didn't count really, because it was pretty subtle. Maybe Lance wouldn't take it as a confession. 

"How are you so confident with saying things like that?" Lance asked, dumbfounded. Keith's eyebrows raised, turning to Lance quickly. 

"What? I am not! I get so scared!"

"Then how do you say it?"

"It just comes out! I can't control it." Keith mumbled, closing his eyes. This isn't how he had expected this conversation to go. "Or I guess- I can control it, but I choose not to. I'm dying anyways, might as well live now." 

Lance hummed, sitting himself up straight and smiling over at Keith. "Well, i'm dying too." He mumbled, and Keith looked up at him. 

"But i'm beating you." Keith mumbled, continuing the ongoing string of competition between the two. 

"You think that's going to make me not like you?" Keith's eyes widened, covering his face with his hands. 

"Lance! What the hell?!"

"What? We're being confident right now, right? Shit- too far? Fuck- I totally went too far. I just- I thought this was our moment! We were bonding! Right? That was totally us- i'm sorry... are you crying?! No, no no don't cry it's okay I was totally- I was just kidding..."

Keith muffled his laughter, rubbing his eyes with his hands. "I'm not crying! I'm just- wow. Straight forward." Lance groaned into his own hands, making Keith laugh again. He felt his heart skip a little bit, but that was probably just from the laughter. "We are about to sleep in the same room, you could have waited for tomorrow at least."

"Don't say that- I wasn't thinking about that. Now I am. Thank you." Keith snickered, watching Lance collapse in on himself and gather up his legs in his hands. "You aren't mad?" Lance whispered from his fetal position, his voice more vulnerable then Keith had ever heard it. Keith's smile dropped because it worried Keith, really. If lance kept himself this dedicated and attached to someone so quickly he was going to get himself hurt. Especially with Keith. 

"Why would I be mad?"

"I don't know you're Keith. You're always mad about everything." Lance mumbled. Keith tried to laugh, but he couldn't. 

"Lance I just- i'm not a good person to like."

"I know. You're a total dick- I don't know what's wrong with me." Lance mumbled, laughing from behind his knees. Keith gasped, throwing an eraser at the boy's head. 

"No, not because of that!" Keith yelled acting offended. Lance pulled himself up, still snickering. 

"Why, then?"

Keith couldn't understand why Lance couldn't connect the dots. Because he was dying? Because he wasn't good enough? Because all he did all day every day was sit around bored in a hospital? Because one day Lance would get bored of babysitting him? Because maybe there's Lance's soulmate out there somewhere and Keith didn't want to waste his time?

"I'm just- i'm not in shape for that right now." Lance's smile dropped gradually, his face turning into something more offended. 

"Why not?"

"I'm pretty much dead, Lance." Keith said, and silence stretched between the two of them. Keith looked down at his feet, not wanting to look at Lance. "It's not positive but- it's likely. That I will die. More likely than normal." Lance still kept quiet. "And it's all I ever think about. Is leaving people behind. And you- with Coran- you miss him so much. I can't just- like- leave you." Keith mumbled, pulling his shoulders closer together. "I'm already leaving my brother. I can't leave another person. It's why I agreed to live in the hospital."

Lance pursed his lips, trying to contain the millions of emotions that fluttered through him right now. "Don't say that." Lance muttered, and Keith didn't look up. "You don't know anything about how you're going to die. The sun could- the sun could totally explode tomorrow and the whole world would end and then this whole conversation wouldn't be shit. I could get in a car accident, or maybe diagnosed with cancer, maybe someone else will be, maybe you. I don't know, Keith. But you can't just live being afraid of hurting everyone and isolating youself." 

Keith nodded to Lance although it looked more to himself, and Lance found himself continuing to spit out things he wouldn't dare confess if he wasn't so emotional. "And none of that is going to change how I feel about you. Okay? You might die tomorrow or- or maybe in fifty years but right now, right now I like you. Okay? And I just-" lance mumbled, taking a deep breath and containing himself. "You don't have to say you like me, I just need to know you're okay with that."

Keith felt the insides of himself blending together as he stared intently at his feet, because Lance was right. He didn't want to admit he was right, because Keith still stood true to what he felt, but he knew Lance was right. He knew it's better to live now until you die then to never live and miss out on things that could have been great in life. Shiro told him every day, but never like this. Never with so much emotion. Keith nodded again, sniffling. "That's okay." 

Lance seemed to relax a lot after Keith said that, because Keith could hear the breath Lance had been holding in release. Keith smiled to himself. He never thought someone could care about him so much other than Shiro. But people like that do exist, he guessed. 

•

"Where do you want to sleep?" Lance mumbled, leading an obviously overwhelmed Keith from he loud chatter of the dinner table. The two of them entered the room, and Keith shrugged to himself. 

"I don't know, the floor." Lance turned to him, shocked. 

"What if you like-"

"Lance, I'll be fine." Lance shook his head. 

"No way. This is your first real teenage sleepover, and i'm not going to let you die on it." Keith laughed. 

"Okay, then where will I sleep?"

Was he about to say it? Yes. He was. All or nothing. "In the bed with me."

Keith was quiet for a moment as Lance walked a little faster to hide his burning skin. "Is that- you know. Normal for guys when having sleepovers?"

No. "Yeah, duh." Lance mumbled, fixing his pillows. "Then if anything happens I'll be right there. You'll sleep on the inside, okay?"

Keith smiled, letting a soft laugh escape through his nose. "Okay, dad." He mumbled, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. Lance stood up straight, staring back just as awkwardly. 

"So." Lance mumbled, blinking. 

"I have to get changed." Keith mumbled, laughing again as he watched Lance nod quickly.

"Right! Yes, obviously. There's a bathroom down the hall."

"I don't want to leave and get evaluated by your sister, just don't look." Keith mumbled, and Lance nodded aggressively again and swiveled around to face the corner. 

"Right, not looking." He mumbled, taking a deep breath as he stared at the corner. His eyes traveled around the corner, his stomach twisting as he heard fabric moving from behind him and tried to focus on anything but the now mostly naked Keith behind him. His eyes quickly caught sight with the mirror, exposing a very shirtless and nearly pants-less Keith, but he breathed in and looked away, both quite quickly. He had more respect for Keith then to peep on him changing. 

"Okay, i'm done." Keith mumbled, and Lance turned around grinning only to be met with a still shirtless Keith. "Jesus, put a shirt on!" He yelled, covering his eyes. Keith laughed, walking to the bed. 

"I can't sleep with a shirt on, I'll sweat." Lance removed his hands. This was great. Perfect.

"Okay, alright. My turn. Don't look." Keith obliged, turning to face the wall from the inside of the bed and Lance pulled off his shirt and jeans. He walked over to his dresser, pulling out pajama shorts and a tank top. Should he go shirtless? He normally does but maybe that's too much with the shorts. Plus he'd just embarrass himself, he's not nearly as toned as Keith. He decided with the tank top. "Alright, i'm decent." He mumbled, taking off his socks. Keith turned around, his eyebrows shooting up and lance looked at him, suddenly feeling self conscious. He looked down at his shorts and tank top. Was there something in his hair? "What?"

"Nothing it's just- your shorts." He mumbled, his voice thick. Lance pursed his lips, looking down at his Brandy Melville shorts. 

"Oh- they're not really mine. They're Remi's. It's just- it's hot? I don't know. Am I embarrassing myself? Is this weird? I can just wear sweats..." he rambled, but Keith just shook his head, clearly just as flustered but Lance tried not to think about that. 

"No, it's fine. They look, you know. They look nice. On you, I mean." Keith mumbled, and that was not what Lance was expecting. 

"Oh," he mumbled, pulling his lips in between his teeth. "Thanks. I like..." he mumbled, realizing he didn't have anything to say. "I like your chest." What?

Keith laughed. "My chest?" 

Lance's eyes opened widely. "It's all I can see! I mean I like your face but that would be weird and there's no way i'm complimenting your mullet." Lance grumbled, turning off his light and walking slowly over to his bed. He felt the side with his hand, letting himself in. 

"Fair enough." Keith mumbled, and that began the silence that stretched between the two of them in the dark for a while, maybe ten minutes. Lance was laying totally straight, face up to the ceiling and for most of the time Keith was the same, but he turned his back to Lance a few minutes after and got more comfortable. Lance couldn't. It wasn't until Lance had finally started to fall asleep despite the scary position that he had realized something. 

"Keith!" He whispered, switching on the light by his bed and shaking the boy's shoulder. Keith grumbled, not opening his eyes, but Lance wasn't having it. "Keith, I didn't take your vitals!"

"It's okay." Keith whispered, taking in a breath. "I'm fine."

"No, Keith I need to take them."

"I did."

"What?"

"I did it." 

Lance couldn't tell if Keith was being serious or sleep talking, but he pressed his hand against Keith's chest despite. He counted the beats, watching the clock on his bed and trying his best to count Keith's breaths at the same time. 

"You're a little quick, I'll just text Shiro and let him know."

"Lance, i'm fine." 

"I know that Keith, but he said if anything was even slightly-"

"My hearts just going quick because i'm hard." Keith muttered, and now Lance knew for sure Keith was half asleep. He would have never said that when fully awake. 

"What?" Lance whispered, and Keith just breathed heavily. 

"I'm hard. It's okay, my heart will slow down in like 20."

"Why are you hard?!" Lance whisper yelled, glad Keith's eyes were shut or he would have been able to make out the redness of Lance's face without much effort. 

"Because i'm sleeping next to a hot boy wearing booty shorts? I'm gay, Lance. It happens to the best of us." He grumbled. "Go to sleep."

Lance laid himself down straighter then before, switching off the light and watching the darkness like it was an intense horror film as he felt Keith's breathing even out as he fell asleep. Maybe just a quick text to Shiro would be fine. It's the right thing to do, anyways. 

Draft to: Shiro  
Hey, Shiro, it's Lance. Sorry to bother you so late. I just did Keiths vitals and his heart rate was just a little above average, but he said it was just because he was 

Lance stopped typing. What, did he just admit that Keith was hard? Keith would totally kill him. Lance deleted the draft message, looking to Keith and sighing. He'll be fine, Lance is just overreacting. He turned off his phone and set it on his table, turning his back to Keith and allowing himself to finally drift off peacefully. He was already in his state of oblivion when Keith's arm slid around his waist.

•

Lance felt his shoulder being pushed, and he squinted his eyes open to see the sky around him still black. "What?" He mumbled, but there was only a weak response that lance couldn't understand, so he figured Keith was sleep talking. He breathed in, closing his eyes again, but only a few seconds later his leg was being kicked. He turned on the light, turning to Keith to see what was happening only to be met with Keith hunched over, breathing quickly and holding a deathly tight grip on Lance's shirt. 

"I'm- just hurts. Hurts really-" Keith muttered, and Lance's actions happened much quicker than he would have imagined. He tried to comfort Keith and slow his breathing while checking his vitals but after realizing things were just getting worse as his heart rate quickened he decided on grabbing Keith and his phone and carrying him as quickly as he could down the stairs, deciding on calling Shiro in the car to save time. He gave Keith some breathing exercises and sat in the drivers seat, trying not to think about the fact he had not much license or driving training. He could do this. 

He dialed Shiro, putting it on speaker and pulling out of the driveway, speeding down the street and praying he didn't get pulled over. 

"Hello? Is everything okay?" Shiro asked, and Lance looked at the hunched over and rapidly breathing Keith next to him, and felt himself start to tear up. 

"No, fuck! He's- I don't know what's happening. He can talk, he said it hurts and he- he hasn't talked recently. It's not a heart attack because his hearts still beating, I don't know what it is. I checked his heart rate and it's fast, and you aren't supposed to give someone WIYH a beating heart CPR- I don't know what to- fuck! Fuck. I should have been prepared. I- 

Shiros voice came through the phone softly, trying to calm Lance down. "Lance! Lance, it's. Where are you?" 

Lance breathed in, glancing over at Keith. "I'm around the corner from the hospital now."

"Okay," Shiro said, and Lance could hear him running. "I'll wait outside with the things he needs. We won't have time to take him in, I'll just help him in the car. 

"Right, okay." Lance mumbled, and now he was full on crying. 

"Okay." Shiro muttered, and Lance felt himself crying a little harder with the no affirmation of Keith being okay, because he knew there was never a 'yes, Keith will be fine' In the whole time he will know and has known Keith. "I'll stay on. Can he hear me?"

"Yeah," Lance muttered, and looked over to an obviously in pain Keith, who just continued his rapid breathing. 

"Okay. Keith, you're okay. Just breath. In, out, in, out." Shiro said softly, the sounds of objects gathering and the front door opening in the background as Lance tried to calm himself as he pulled up to the hospital, watching Shiro jog over to the car as soon as he spotted them and hanging up his phone. 

It was hard for Lance to focus on whatever else happened after that. Shiro took over, placing a machine over Keith's mouth and another on his finger, and Lance felt himself start to get sick as he watched Shiro calm his breathing. He figured it was just his nerves but still turned his head down at his car tire in case, and indeed threw up all over the concrete two or three times, holding his own hair back and watching his vision blur with his tears. 

He leaned his hands against the car, listening to Keith's breathing begin slowing and pressing his forehead against the window of the car. Shiro mumbled something before picking up Keith and sitting him in a wheelchair, machine still against his face. Keith's body was now much less tense, his eyes closed. 

"I'll take him in from here. I'm sorry you had to see that, Lance. He's going to be okay."

Lance breathed in relief, closing his eyes. "He said- I thought he was-"

"I know." Shiro mumbled, keeping Keith's wheel chair in one hand but walking over to Lance and pulling him into a hug. Lance decided against talking about the vomit that was now probably on Shiro. "It's not your fault."

Lance cried for a minute into Shiro's shoulder before laughing bitterly and pulling away. "Can I stay here? It's supposed to be a sleep over so, I guess-"

"You can stay in Keith's room if you want. You might not be too comfy but-"

"It's fine, I want to." Lance assured, and Shiro smiled. 

"I think Keith will like that." Shiro said genuinely, and Lance smiled nodding. He followed the two of them into the hospital, sending a text to tell his mother where he had gone and what happened, and for the first time he wasn't thinking about the death and pain that was around him in the hospital, because he had seen it all in a new light now. All Lance could think about was Keith, and how happy he was that he was alive. And how happy he was that everyone in this hospital, all the nurses and surgeons and doctors, how they were all here to save people just like Keith. And sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But for Keith, this time, it worked. He was okay. Keith was alive, and that's all Lance thought about all the way to Keith's room, the whole time he waited for Shiro to bring him blankets, and that's all he thought about until he fell asleep, finally peaceful.

•

When Lance woke up, he was finally rested. He kept his eyes closed for a few minutes after waking up, just to allow himself to regain his composure before opening his eyes and looking around to find himself on the visiting bay window next to Keith's cot. He looked up to see Keith now looking at him, seeming slightly embarrassed as he smiled lightly. 

"Your mom just called, I didn't want to wake you. She just wanted to make sure you and I were okay. You're also i'm big trouble for not waking her up, and for driving. She told me to tell you that." Lance laughed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands and looking down at his now sweaty and vomit smelling tank and short shorts. He laughed, shaking his head as he looked up at Keith in the hospital bed. 

"This was an awful first sleep over." Lance mumbled, and Keith laughed loudly, throwing his head behind him. Lance noticed now there was a machine behind Keith that was monitoring his heartbeats, and a vital clip on his finger. Was that normal? "You'll be okay, right?"

Keith nodded, smiling. "Yeah, i'm going to be okay." Lance nodded, pulling the blanket back over his head. 

"Good. You scared me, asshole." Keith laughed, turning down the TV. 

"I'm sorry, I totally ruined it." Keith muttered. "If it wasn't for those damn booty shorts." Keith grumbled, and Lance could hear the smile in his voice. 

"Oh shut up!" Lance yelled, knowing Keith was joking and deciding he deserved to enjoy his jokes for now. Lance smiled, never realizing how much he enjoyed listening to Keith's voice. In fact, he hasn't realized how much he loved everything about Keith until now. His voice, his laugh, the way his eyes crinkle, maybe even his hair. Just a little bit. 

"They actually said i'm getting better, since this morning at least. This is the quickest i've recovered. I might not even need surgery." Lance removed his blanket, smiling up at Keith. 

"That's incredible, what the hell! Congrats!" Keith smiled, nodding. 

"Normally I wouldn't have really cared. But I guess i've realized now I have things to live for." 

"That's good." Lance whispered, smiling. "As soon as you're better, we'll have our second first sleepover." Keith laughed. 

"What, did that not count?"

"I sure hope it didn't!"

Keith smiled, seeming to debate what he was about to say. He leaned back, taking a deep breath. "Maybe we can hang out again, just a daytime thing. Shiro probably won't let me out until he knows i'm good for sure."

"Neither would I!" Lance yelled, smiling. "And yeah. That'd be cool."

"That'd be cool." Keith repeated, smiling to himself as the two of them turned their attentions to the TV, allowing the silence to be comfortable as they watched. Lance occasionally looked over at Keith, and maybe Keith looked over at Lance a few times. They weren't sure how many "Price is Right" episodes they had gone through by the time Shiro returned, smiling at Lance. 

"Good morning! Did you wake up a while ago?"

"Yeah, I should probably get going. My moms probably worried sick. I think i'm gonna nap too." Lance mumbled, looking over to Keith. "You'll be fine?"

"Yes, you need to go. Sleep. I'll see you soon?"

"Tomorrow." Lance mumbled, smiling warmly. Keith smiled back, the tension between the two of them building as they seemed to wait for something that neither was aware of. Shiro broke the awkward tension with a pat on Lance's shoulder, telling him goodbye himself. Lance smiled, nodding and making one last quick eye contact with Keith before leaving the room and walking down to the lobby. 

He waved at the man at the counter on his way out, feeling his walking quicken as he let his excitement for whatever was going to happen next build up. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt it build up into his chest and explode and he finally allowed his thoughts to spill out as soon as he got in the car. 

"I like him!" He yelled to his steering wheel. "A lot. I like him a lot. I kind of want to just- I want to just-"

Kiss him. 

Lance's eyes widened as he turned his eyes down to his feet, then to his phone. He hadn't kissed him? Not even a hug? What the hell was he thinking? "Yeah bye, glad you didn't die. See you later." Lance pulled down the mirror in front of his seat, staring at himself. 

"You're an idiot. You're a fucking idiot. He wanted it, too. You could see it!" He yelled at his reflection, and slamming the mirror back closed and looking up at the hospital. Does he go back? Call Shiro? No, that's weird. 

To: Keith  
I didn't kiss you

Lance felt himself start to get ready to run into the hospital, but still felt his body holding him back slightly. He breathed in shakily as he watched the delivered then to read

From: Keith  
I didn't kiss you either

He swallowed, trying not to freak himself out too much.

To: Keith  
I want to  
I'm coming back

He opened his door, but his phone vibrated before he could go anywhere. 

From: Keith  
No way  
You are not kissing me in this ugly ass hospital cot  
I'm walking to your car. I want to kiss you in the car. 

To: Keith  
Are you okay to walk?

From: Keith  
I'll have Shiro wheel me to the lobby and watch me walk the rest of the way  
Sorry if that's weird

To: Keith  
I don't care  
As long as you're alive

Lance ran a hand through his hair, realizing his breath probably smelled and tasted like shit because he hadn't brushed his teeth yet. He pulled the mirror back down, trying his best to fix his hair and scrambling around the glove box until finally finding a piece of gum and chewing it quickly, sucking harshly to get as much mint as possible. 

"Okay." He whispered, breathing in and looking to the hospital front doors to see them opening, Shiro's eyes locked on Lance's car with a smug look. Keith's face was red as he grumbled something angrily to Shiro before standing up, walking with a slight wobble to Lance's car. Lance quickly spit his gum out and wrapped it back up, throwing it somewhere at his feet. 

Lance had kissed someone before obviously, but he figured Keith hadn't which was a lot more pressure then Lance would like to admit. He looked at his feet as Keith got closer to the car, feeling his face get red as Keith hesitated for a minute at the door, both of them looking equally embarrassed. Keith tried to open the door, which turned out to be locked, and Lance was quick to reach over and open it in utter embarrassment. Keith didn't say anything as he walked into the car, just sitting down in the passenger seat and shaking his leg. Lance took a deep breath, looking over at Shiro who was watching the car with a grin. 

"Your brothers watching us." Lance mumbled, smiling. Keith breathed in, still not looking at Lance at all since entering and rolling his window down, turning to Shiro.

"Don't look!"

"Okay, okay!" Shiro yelled from his distance, facing his body away and pulling out his phone. Keith rolled his window up, allowing that to be the only sound filling the car other then their nervous breathing and the tapping of Lance's fingers against the steering wheel. 

"Okay." Lance mumbled, breathing in. Keith laughed, shoving his head into his hands. 

"This is awful, fuck."

"I think it's totally romantic, you know. The hospital in the background, in my moms car, your brothers watching us, you almost died. And I mean," Lance mumbled, turning on the radio and their breathing was not fully tuned out to the sound of TiK ToK by Kesha. Keith removed his hands, looking at Lance with probably the best smile Lance had ever seen in his life. Keith was now fully laughing, complaining about the song and something about the background vocals but Lance couldn't hear any of it. 

"You're adorable." Lance mumbled, and Keith's smile dropped as he turned to look at Lance, the song playing suddenly not mattering as Lance found himself leaning in. Keith seemed to pull back to reality as his back straightened, sucking in a breath before bringing his head slightly closer to Lance's. Lance brought his forehead to Keith's, resting their noses together and deciding to let Keith close the gap, which he seemed to have no problem doing. 

And they kissed. And there was no sparks or fireworks, but Lance felt his body lighten and Keith felt himself start to grow more comfortable and allowed his eyes to flutter shut despite the awful position they were in, having to lean over the large compartment between the two of their seats. Keith's hand stayed glued to his sides, obviously not used to this sort of situation, but Lance's hands seemed to know exactly what to do as one pulled itself through the hair behind Keith's ear, the other resting gently on his shoulder. Keith decided on finally picking up his hand, hesitantly placing his hand on Lance's waist, which he learned was the right thing to do as Lance tilted his head to the other side and leaned into Keith at the touch. 

Lance was the first one to unlock their lips, but kept the closeness to Keith the same. Even though he was the one to pull away, and they were still right next to each other, he still felt a sort of distance between the two of them that he couldn't fill with just being there anymore. It was more than that now. 

"Is Shiro still watching?" Keith whispered, and Lance pulled back to look in his direction. Shiro's head turned away as soon as he saw Lance begin to look, pulling his phone back with him. 

"I believe he was, but he saw me. So now he isn't." Lance mumbled, and Keith laughed into his hands. 

"I can't believe we kissed to TiK ToK. You do realize whenever someone asks that's the story you have to tell."

"Hey, I am very proud to have you at all. I don't care how we kissed. Plus, I think it was romantic." Lance mumbled, turning down the radio. Keith laughed, shaking his head. 

"I know, you said that."

"I had to sat it again. It's important."

"Why, of course."

The two of them just huffed out quiet laughter, enjoying the others company. 

"Okay, I have to go for real now." Keith mumbled, turning back to Lance. Lance just nodded, smiling at nothing specific, just Keith. "You'll come back tomorrow?" He asked seeming embarrassed to have to confirm. 

"Tomorrow," Lance stated without hesitation. He leaned in, pulling Keith's bangs away from his forehead and kissing him right above the brow. "Wouldn't miss it for the world." 

Keith grinned, leaning into the touch while it still lasted before pulling away, nodding to nothing in particular before saying one last goodbye and helping himself out of the car. Lance rolled the window down, waving to Shiro who waved back before laughing at a clearly embarrassed Keith. 

"Walk of shaaame!" Shiro yelled, only smiling wider as Keith shot back at him with insults. 

"We didn't even do anything shameful!" Keith yelled, and Lance watched fondly as Shiro shook his head, clicking his tongue

"Walk of shaaaame" Shiro sang mockingly, helping his brother into his wheel chair and allowing Keith and Lance to share one last goodbye wave before bringing him back into the hospital. 

Lance smiled to himself, allowing his small victory dances to go a little crazy as he threw his arms around wildly in excitment, pulling down the mirror and smiling. 

"You're great, you know. Yeah, you." He mumbled, smiling at himself proudly. Lance emptied out all of the emotions that had been jumping around his head happily as he rolled down all his windows and proudly blasted the remaining of the Kesha song as he drove his way home. He watched the hospital begin to disappear from his view in his mirrors, and found himself hooting for himself loudly. Not that anyone could hear him, of course. Just because he could.

**Author's Note:**

> and that's the end:')
> 
> I do realize reading through this there's probably many errors of grammar and just things in general, and constructive critisism is always good, just no hate please :) kindness always speaks louder!
> 
> Please comment or access me through my instagram @halluras to let me know what you thought of it!!! Thanks so much for reading, kudos to YOU<3


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